Dark Side of the Moon
by Honey Jenkins
Summary: They thought they had bested her, but a woman who received her PhD at 21 would not be fooled so easily. When Lewis' and the girls' worst fears are realised and they are captured by Dr. Denman, they find experimentation to be as terrifying as they always assumed. Will help ever come? Or will Zane Bennett, their only hope of rescue buy into the lie that mermaids are no longer people?
1. Prologue

**Author's Forewarning: **

This is most decidedly a darker version of _H2O_. It involves kidnap, captivity, forced experimentation, and copulation. In fact, it's almost a story of slavery, but with mermaids and magic. Viewer discretion is therefore advised, and this author apologises for putting such beloved characters through all this. Despite what this story involves, I assure you I do not hate the characters of _H2O_. The same cannot be said for the _Mako Mermaid_ entourage, so be warned that if they appear, it may not be to give them a pleasant fate.

Updates will be on **Mondays**!

And for those of you who grew up loving American Girl stories (and dolls), or simply enjoy stories of rescue and romance in the 1700's, my newest Felicity/Ben story will be posted on **Fridays**! Look out for the title, "_Lissie Nye_."

* * *

**Prologue**

Lewis flinched, but tried not to show it as another dry scale was torn from his tail and sealed in a container for study. The continual drip of water on his arm ensured that he wouldn't return to human form until they'd done whatever they pleased with him. He flexed his fingers and tried to work out the unbearable kinks in his neck, but the straps around his chest and arms prevented him from any more than limited movement.

One of the ceiling lights flickered. The drip on his arm was torture. And he was thirsty. They hadn't given him anything to drink, just secured him to a cold table that looked suited for autopsies and left the water drip. They came in only to take hair, blood, and worst of all, the scales he was still unused to, but no more willing to have them ripped off without his consent. The assistant mumbled something about it hurting less when the scales were dry, but he was an idiot. Lewis wanted to rip a patch of skin off his thigh with a pair of tweezers and see how _he_ felt about it.

Lewis wondered if Cleo was doing alright. Upon their relocation to the research facility, everyone had congratulated the doctor on capturing her first "true male specimen," so maybe Cleo wouldn't be subject to the same painful tests. He dearly hoped she wouldn't.

He'd tried to keep track of time; it was impossible to sleep this way, so he had to do something. It had been... eleven hours and forty minutes, approximately, since they were all safe on Mako Island. He counted back to be sure. An hour of "processing," little more than an hour on the boat, two hours from the moon pool to camp...

A bit of moisture leaked from his eyes, and he was glad no one was there to see him cry.

This was all his fault...


	2. Into the Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

Just as a warning, the time frame of Denman's return in conjunction with the development of Cleo and Lewis's relationship may not line up exactly within the show's canon. I didn't do a lot of research on that; just went with whatever felt right for the story progression. Now that you are aware... onward!

* * *

**I. Into the Nightmare**

Cleo woke with a start, a sickness roiling in her gut. She was drenched in sweat; a nightmare, maybe? She tried to sit up without waking Emma and Rikki, but there wasn't much room in the tent.

Something was definitely wrong. When she raised herself up, she was forced to use her elbows for support as her legs had disappeared. Why did she have a tail?

"Hey." It seemed Emma had woken after all. She nudged Cleo's arm. "Are you okay?"

"No… I have a tail!" she hissed. "I guess I was… sweating from my nightmare, but that never made me transform before!"

Emma sat up straighter and brought her legs up to her chest, afraid Cleo's condition would spread to her. "Well it is a full moon. Weirder things have happened." She fished her torch out from under her sleeping bag and flashed it across the length of Cleo's tail. It was hard to tell in the unnatural light, but everything seemed to be normal. Except for the fact that her own perspiration had caused her to change.

"I'll get Rikki up."

By the time Rikki could be shaken awake, and made alert enough to understand the situation, Cleo had cooled down, and dried off.

"I'm dry now, but I'm still not changing back!" she flung down the towel in frustration. "What if I'm like this forever?!"

"It may fade by morning?" Rikki suggested with a yawn.

"And if it doesn't?"

Rikki exhaled slowly and pursed her lips. She was very tempted to say, "Deal with it then," but she knew she'd never hear the end of it if she slept while Cleo was in such a state. So she offered to do the next best thing. "I'll get Lewis."

Lewis was much better at being startled awake than Rikki. It was barely a few moments before Rikki was ushering him into the girl's tent.

"…and she's got not a drop of moisture on her, but she's still got a tail," she explained sleepily.

"What should we do?" Emma asked.

Cleo was on the verge of tears. "If Kim or my dad sees me like this…"

"The moon pool, I guess. Until morning, at least." Lewis gestured to Cleo's predicament. "Emma… uh… I'll let you…"

Emma grabbed Cleo's tail as Lewis hoisted her by the under arms.

"Okay, there?" he whispered as they exited the tent.

"Yeah," Cleo nodded sullenly, though she sounded anything but.

As they reached the cover of the trees, Rikki saw and heard some movement coming from Kim's tent. She blinded her with the torch as she stumbled out.

"Ah! Cleo! What are you…? Oh… Rikki! What are you guys doing out here? I heard voices."

"Nothing that concerns you. Just run along back to bed, little snoop."

Kim glowered and her eyes trailed to Lewis's open and empty tent. Kim gasped. "Did Lewis and Cleo go off together?"

"No."

"That's not what I'm gonna tell Dad." She crossed her arms and was quite smug. "Unless you give me fifty dollars!"

"I'm not giving you any money!"

"Then I'm gonna go wake Dad!"

Several tense moments went by in which the two girls glared each other down, neither willing to budge. Suddenly, Kim yelped, and jumped back a step, grabbing her foot. "What was that?! Something burned me!"

"Oh, did you get bit?" Rikki asked, pretending to be concerned, "There are a lot of crazy bugs out here. I heard fire beetle bites feel just like getting burned. Might be safer in your tent."

"Yeah, right. Those aren't even a real thing. That was just… OW!" she hopped again, and as soon as her foot was back on the ground, the other one was assaulted. Soon, she was unable to stand without the pricks of what she thought were beetle bites.

The moment she was back in her tent to see to her burned feet, Rikki rushed off to follow the others.

It was no easy task, getting Cleo into the moon cave in the state she was in. Lewis could hear her sniffling as he helped to lower her down the slope, but he wasn't sure if he should say anything. Sometimes his best intentions only made it worse.

He let his hand linger on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze before letting her slip down the tunnel to an awaiting Rikki and Emma.

When he made it down himself Cleo was sitting on the edge of the pool, gazing listlessly at the ripples on the water, her tailfin dangling just above the surface. Lewis sat next to her and gave an encouraging half-smile.

Emma was pacing while Rikki stood in the background, arms crossed in general sleepiness and boredom.

"So glad you all could make it." A disturbingly familiar voice echoed from the shadows.

Dr. Denman strolled forward, her blonde ponytail swishing leisurely behind her as she smiled. "Nice to see you, girls... Lewis," she said with emphasis. He jumped up to stand in front of Cleo as two well built men flanked Dr. Denman.

Cleo glanced from Lewis to Denman to the girls and back to Lewis with helpless eyes. Rikki and Emma each took a step back and assumed defensive positions, ready to use their powers at a moment's provocation.

"Go," Lewis said to Cleo and the girls."You'll have to swim for it."

"What about you?" she pleaded.

"Don't worry about me. I've got nothing she wants. Just get out of here while you can."

Rikki and Emma dove into the pool immediately, racing for the passage that would lead them to open water. Cleo took Lewis's hand. "Be careful, Lewis." And then she too was gone.

Dr. Denman only stood smiling.

"Give it up, Denman. You'll never catch them," he said with confidence.

She chuckled. "Oh, but I already have."

Lewis narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you talking about?"

"They seem to be having trouble down there... you might want to help them out."

Lewis huffed, but her words worried him, and after some flickering from below that indicated they had not made it out of the cave yet, he jumped into the moon pool to be of assistance.

They surfaced all at once and each of the girls began sputtering, one over the other. "She's blocked it!" "There's some sort of... grate there!" "Lewis, we're trapped! What do we do?"

"A good scientist never gives up," Denman said. "No matter the odds against him—or her as the case may be. You'd do well to remember that, Lewis."

Just as he opened his mouth to respond, the full moon started to move over the opening of the volcano. He started as a strange, mystical glow flickered beneath them from the infinite depths of the pool and grew and grew as the moon was aligned with the volcano's peak. The water churned under and around them, and tiny orbs of water separated from the pool and floated up towards the pull of the moon.

"Should we get him out of there?" one of the two large men stooped to give Lewis a hand, but Denman pulled him back. "No, leave him! I want to see what happens."

After the bubbles had abated and the moon passed over, she looked hard at Lewis. He glared defiantly at her and kicked up a splash of water with his foot, though it was impeded somewhat by his wet clothes and shoes. "Looks like it didn't work, Denman."

"Put him on the boat," she ordered. "Somewhere secure we can keep an eye on him."

"No!" Cleo screamed, reaching fruitlessly for Lewis as the two men pulled him roughly from the water and dragged him away. She turned furious eyes onto Dr. Denman. Her fingers imitated claws as she tried to draw a pillar of water from the pool.

Her face fell as many moments went by with nothing accomplished.

"Do you think I'm that stupid?" Denman sneered. "I've done my research, Cleo. Tonight is special. The moon took your powers. You can't hurt me."

Emma put a steadying hand on Cleo's shoulder and Rikki shared a frightened look with her.

"Unfortunately, the same can't be said about you, girls."

The brawn of the operation materialised suddenly without Lewis.

"Now!" Denman announced eagerly. "Which one of you is going to be first?"


	3. Total Control

**II. Total Control**

Cleo gripped the iron bars of her crate and tried to keep back the contents of her stomach as the boat lurched. Rikki and Emma were in crates of their own, just far enough to touch fingertips if they extended their arms. All of them were in mermaid form. Though their powers were gone, the debilitating part of their condition remained.

"It'll be okay, Cleo," Emma tried, "Once we're off the boat, you won't feel so sick."

"I don't think she's seasick," Rikki said with scepticism, "Things aren't going to improve once we're off the boat."

"I was only trying to make her feel better!" Emma's tone suggested the beginning of an argument. "There's no reason to make things worse with your attitude."

"Girls! Please!" Cleo pleaded, "Let's not fight. Things are bad enough. We have to stick together, no matter what."

"You're right," Emma sighed, slumping back against the harsh metal of her crate. "I'm sorry."

"Will you be alright?" Rikki's voice softened as she asked Cleo.

"I think I'm just... in shock a bit. I thought they'd let Lewis go once he didn't transform... but then he did... and now we have no one to get help," she added, tears forming in her eyes.

"Maybe he'll get powers and can free us?" Rikki suggested.

"I can't believe that woman!" Emma cried, "Tricking us into losing our powers!"

"She could have been bluffing..." Cleo hoped more than believed.

"Oh, you think so?" The girls caught their breath as Denman strode into the cramped quarters, clipboard at the ready. "It's cute that you think I'd leave anything to chance, but I'm far more prepared than that. Even if you regain your powers by the full moon's affects wearing off, you'll be given a serum every day that keeps your powers dormant."

"And how are you going to get us to take the serum?" Rikki challenged.

"Oh, you won't need to 'take' it. The serum is injected directly into the bloodstream. I'm afraid you haven't got a choice."

"Shots!?" Cleo became even more distressed, and Emma tried to reach her hand as far as it would go to touch her in comfort if possible.

"I didn't come down here to discuss that particular part of your relocation. I came to warn you."

"Warn us?" Emma snorted. "I think you've done quite enough without fair warning, thanks."

"You're in a very precarious situation," Dr. Denman said with cold eyes fixed on Emma, "I'd mind my manners if I were you. I wanted to warn you that we're nearing the facility. If, by some miracle, you were able to free yourselves from your holding cells, it wouldn't get you far in your current form. We have tracers on you, so don't even think about swimming for it. And if one of you escapes, I guarantee, we'll make it worse for the rest of your friends. However, if you cooperate, things will go well. You'll be allowed a larger enclosure, better fish, and we might consider your own choice of mate once the time comes and we've acquired more male specimens like your friend."

"Mate?" Rikki whispered to Cleo. "What the bloody…?"

"Oh! And might I mention that there are cameras installed in every corner of your enclosure, so don't try any funny business. We will know if you require extra training. And I doubt you will enjoy your training."

"Enclosure!?" Emma exclaimed. "You can't do this!"

"Yes sweetheart, I can."

"These are people's lives you're messing with!" Rikki said; disgust clear in her features, "What you're doing is wrong."

She was condescending in her head shake. "No. You're not human anymore. As much as you try to hide it, and walk among people like you're still a human being, it's a lie. You are a mermaid. You are all mermaids. And the sooner you embrace what you are, the better it will be for the lot of you."

-x-

Tarps were thrown over their crates before each mermaid was carried off the boat and into the unknown of their new place. Cleo tried to count the turns, and listen for clues to their location, but she was not smart like Lewis and couldn't figure out how far they'd gone or how she might backtrack by the time the tarps were removed.

They'd been set down in a long aquarium walkway that could have been the prize of any marine park, but there was a quiet and eerie quality to it that reminded Cleo more of a nightmare than a family holiday.

For one, the people using the walkway were not cheerful spectators with an interest in the sea creatures, or little ones tugging excitedly on their mum and dad's shirts for a closer view. They were scientists in lab coats, wearing grim expressions of cold concentration. All of them carried folders or clipboards, reading strange devices on the sides of the glass, or jotting notes on whatever they thought important.

Worst of all was what they were observing in the tank.

In the vast dark of the blue, amongst the chunks of rock and coral and algae, shadows rippled past that were larger than any fish. Though their tails were long and dolphin-like in shape, they were human from the waist up, and there were more than just a few in the aquarium.

"How many of us has she got in her clutches?" Rikki hissed to Emma.

Denman signed the last form in the stack and then directed the men to pick up the three crates.

"We've been quite productive while biding our time to catch you," she said as they went on. "We now have a total of seventeen mermaids in our possession. Although I will give you credit; you three were the hardest to catch so far."

"Gee, thanks," Rikki muttered.

As they continued under the tunnel, one of the shadows swam close enough to be seen in full. Her red hair moved around her in the water like strange fire, and her skin was so pale it was nearly translucent under the unnatural lights.

Cleo waved timidly, but the mermaid only snarled.

"That's Charlotte. One of our most promising mermaids," Dr. Denman announced.

At the sight of the men carrying their loads, she eagerly pressed her hands to the glass and opened her mouth in what looked like a song.

Except for the tread of the men's feet, all was silent.

Dr. Denman laughed. "We've had to block the sound from her tank. She's really taken on the attributes of a siren. If we let her be heard, all my male workers would end up in the tank with her. Isn't that right, Paul?" she turned to one of the larger men who refused to look up. Denman laughed again. "It's remarkable."

Rikki and Emma wondered why she would talk so much about operations, though neither dared to say so aloud. Wouldn't it be safer to keep her mouth shut? They supposed that for one thing Denman must be pretty confident that they wouldn't escape, and maybe for another, she just couldn't help herself.

All Cleo could think of was the monstrous look in Charlotte's eyes, and how every bit of humanity seemed to be stripped from her. She didn't want to become that. She shrank back into her crate, trying to block the frightful images and silently cried.

* * *

**Author's Note:** For any of you who read my previous _H2O_ story, I think it's clear by now that I will never forgive Charlotte for what she did in the show. She's pretty much an attempted home wrecker. I shall continue to make myself feel better and eviscerate her in fan fiction.

If you are all thoroughly disturbed by Dr. Denman, I consider myself a success.


	4. Separation

**III. Separation**

Rikki hated this.

It wasn't being alone; she was used to that. Preferred it, even in most circumstances. But this wasn't simply being alone. This was... what had Denman called it? Temporary isolation for the sake of psychological evaluation. Science babble. Basically it boiled down to Rikki being placed in a tank of water—just water—to assess her behaviour and determine if she'd be put with other mermaids or kept apart. There were no rocks, no land, and no leverage. How she was supposed to sleep, she didn't know. Maybe she wouldn't be there long enough to find out.

The minutes turned to hours, and she found herself floating on her back. The water took a while to still. It kept pushing her against the tiny walls, bumping her head. She was in the middle of a dark room, the only relief coming up from four little lights level with the ground. The rest of the room was obscured in the darkness; she couldn't tell if she was in a large or a small room, or what might be lurking in the corners.

This was stupid. Was she in a circus act or something?

Rikki looked up at the domed and piped ceiling that was insanely far away, and swore at the empty air.

-x-

Cleo had made her choice.

Dr. Denman said she could cooperate, or never see her friends again.

She chose cooperation.

The needles were terrifying, and the samples hurt, but they made her even more determined to stick it out until she'd be reunited with the girls and Lewis again. It was so different when _he_ was the one doing experiments. The girls had rolled their eyes and thought his research unimportant, but Dr. Denman was _proving_ that there was something spectacular about their transformations. Only Denman and her associates weren't nice about taking DNA.

The "habitat" was okay. There was a rocky kind of landmass that she sat on, not willing to explore the dark unknown of the underwater portion. The landmass was constantly soaked by a stream of water cascading down the sides of the exhibit, so no matter where she sat drying off would be impossible. She wondered if she'd ever see her feet again and nearly cried at the thought of her carefully painted toes.

Lewis had picked the colour.

Happy Sunset.

Rikki had teased him for taking so long with his decision and said he was worse than Cleo at picking anything out. Emma said it was better than not paying attention at all.

Cleo blushed when Lewis said, "I always pay attention to Cleo."

Why did it seem like ages ago, and not just a couple days since they were all together... and happy?

Cleo hugged her arms to herself and tried hard not to cry. Not that it made any difference. She was surrounded by so much saltwater that she practically _was_ water.

Cleo wanted to go home.

-x-

Emma shouted, and kicked out, forgetting for a moment that a tailfin was useless at inflicting harm to anything other than very small fish.

Dr. Denman laughed, even as she jumped backwards at the violent reaction. "Emma, do behave yourself. We have something quite special planned for you."

She thumped her tail against the examination tail once more in defiance. "Like what?"

"Well, now that we know how easy it is to gather male specimens, it would be a big mistake for us not to start a breeding program. You are the best built for it, according to these results." She tapped a yellow folder with a little too much enthusiasm.

"What?! You can't be serious!" Emma strained to keep her head up despite the straps around her shoulders. "You're nuts!"

"What did I say, Emma? Continue to fight, and there will be serious consequences. Both Rikki and Cleo have made up their minds and Rikki's not in a very nice place right now. Would you like to join Cleo in the larger exhibit, or keep struggling and end up in an isolation tank of your own?"

Emma frowned. "I can be with Cleo?"

"Of course. All you have to do is stop fighting."

Stop fighting.

She couldn't. The moment she stopped fighting was the moment she'd given up. But Denman didn't have to know the extent of her determination. She could save her strength for a better time.

Emma set her jaw and let her head fall back against the slab.

"Okay. I'll cooperate if you take me to Cleo."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Whoa! I am so sorry, guys! I accidentally uploaded the wrong chapter at first, because I forgot to take the Prologue into account, and thought we were on Chapter 4! I pulled it as soon as I realised, and I hope it was fast enough! Enjoy the chapter we're REALLY on! :P Again, my deepest apologies.

Reviewers now get a special teaser snippet for their trouble! :)


	5. The Welcoming

**IV. The Welcoming**

Two dark orbs flickered at a distance, startling Cleo with their human quality. She maintained eye contact for several long seconds before realising what it meant.

Someone else was in the tank.

"Emma?" she called softly, even though she knew Emma's eyes weren't brown.

The shadowed head sank back beneath the waterline. In a matter of moments, it remerged just below Cleo's perch on the rocks.

"Hello," Cleo tried.

"Fish."

"What?"

"Do you have fish?"

The creature's breasts were full and round and the orange scales that usually covered them like a magical top had faded to almost nothing. She looked... beastly. Though her face was pretty, her hair a deep red and seemingly full—though wet as it was, hard to tell—there was a sickly pallor to her face, and what should have been vibrant scales were mottled with ashen grey.

"How... how did you get like this?"

"I'm a siren."

"Did they use something on you? Are you sick?"

"Do you have fish?" Her voice was ethereal and melodic, like a song. Disturbing, too, as it seemed she barely remembered how to speak like a human.

"I don't have any fish." Cleo suddenly recognised her as the one Denman was so proud of for her achievements as a mermaid. "You're Charlotte, aren't you?"

Much to Cleo's surprise, the siren hissed, baring her teeth. With a twist and a splash of her tail, Charlotte dove back under the water.

Cleo thought it her question that disturbed the siren, but another head popped up from below that had evidently scared her away.

"Emma!" Cleo began to cry almost as soon as her name had passed her lips.

"Cleo, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"Not too much."

Emma's eyes darted every which way in a panic. "Can they hear us in here?"

"I don't know. Did you see the other one? She can barely talk! And her scales..."

"I know." Emma glanced over her shoulder in case she was still lurking about. "She practically attacked me on my way up."

Cleo stared at Emma, worrying her bottom lip. "Did you happen to see Lewis?"

"No. I'm sorry, Cleo. I have no idea where they're keeping him. I heard Rikki's in a tank of her own."

"All by herself?"

Instead of answering, Emma hoisted herself onto the rocks alongside Cleo. "How big is this tank?"

"I don't know."

"It seemed pretty big when I was on my way to you. I didn't see the end of it. It's almost like a smaller ocean. Did you go under at all?"

Cleo shook her head. Since they'd dropped her from the crate, she swam straight to land and hadn't budged since. "Emma?" she whispered, so the horrible echo wouldn't be so prominent. "I'm scared."

As if in response, the rumbling of something large and mechanical echoed through the vastness of their prison. The water churned, almost like the Mako pool during a full moon, only instead of magic, it produced a pod.

Five mermaids, including Charlotte, gathered beneath the hideous noise as a net of fish was lowered by a crane and dropped into the water. A feeding frenzy began that reminded Cleo of the shark shows her sister was grotesquely fond of. But Emma's focus was not on the fast depleting fish supply, or the crazed sirens. Her gaze followed the long arm of the crane, wondering if it might be possible to freeze solid and climb to freedom. If she waited just until the net reached its lowest point...

"Forget it," a sarcastic voice shot out. "I don't know what you're thinking, but it obviously has to do with escaping on the fish crane, and it's not going to happen."

"Who are you?" Emma snapped, not appreciative of the uncalled for advice.

"Name's Nixie. I used to be part of a pod, until we let a land boy fall into the moon pool on Mako. Anyway, long story, but that's not my point. I'm saying you couldn't get that thing to hold still long enough to hoist yourself onto it. You'd need powers to do that, and obviously they took all our moon rings so there's nothing we can do."

Emma scoffed. "We don't need some ring to use our powers. Since the moon pool transformed us, we've had the ability to use our powers at will."

"Oh, so they didn't pump you full of those magic repressors, I guess? Care to demonstrate? I'd love to make it back to the ocean by dinnertime, but that's not happening, is it?" Nixie rolled her eyes, knowing already what the answer was. "Look, I'm not saying all this to be a downer. But I've been here long enough to see both the other members of my pod turn into zombie versions of themselves, and the sooner you learn to get used to it here, the easier it'll be for you."

"So you're saying to just give up."

Nixie sighed, "What I'm saying is save your energy. You'll need it to survive." She nodded in Cleo's direction. "You okay there?"

"Do you know where they'd take mermen?"

"As far as I know, they haven't brought any here. I only know of the one—the land boy who got us in this mess, and he... Well, once they found out he wasn't what they wanted they took care of him on the boat. Made it look like a shark attack."

Cleo choked in her panic, covering her mouth with her hands. "You mean, they... they...?"

"Stop it, you're scaring her!" Emma snapped.

"Sorry," Nixie shook her head. "I'm not used to hanging around people who care. If it makes you feel better, I don't think they'd do that to a potential 'breeder,' if you know what I'm getting at."

Cleo didn't, but she was too glum to say so. "We're looking for our friend... Lewis. He transformed just after they captured us."

Nixie raised an eyebrow. "Does he like girls?"

"Lewis doesn't like _girls_!" Cleo sputtered, "I mean, if he liked someone, it would be just one girl. He's not like that!"

"Whoa now, Miss Goby Fish! If his taste doesn't run towards other land boys, he's probably in some fancy aquarium with the finest kelp and coral. Nothing to worry about. A merman is all Denman's been talking about since I arrived. What's your name, then?" she changed the subject.

"Cleo. And this is Emma," she gestured to her scowling friend.

Nixie caught two sizeable fish that had managed to escape the fray, and tossed them on land. "Welcome to the pod, girls."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Happy Christmas, everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your holidays, and festivities! And if you're not celebrating Christmas, I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Oh, yes. And surprise! I put Nixie in here! I actually really liked her from the new show. The mermen... not so much. I do love my mermen, but not the way they did it in _Mako Mermaids_. *shudder* That was... that was awful.


	6. Exchange

**V. Exchange**

They never thought they'd get used to captivity, but Emma and Cleo were fast learning the in and outs of existing as research topics. Their diet took some time to accept. Emma had no problem consuming raw and squirmy fish, but Cleo took longer to grow hungry enough to eat. And she still did so reluctantly.

While the others slept as a pod in nooks of the rock formation, the two friends could not conceive of sleeping underwater, and kept to the surface. Nixie sometimes joined them as they rested halfway above water with their tails beneath the lapping waves.

Nixie proved a formidable ally—Emma was not ready to call her a friend as Cleo did—but there was no denying her usefulness. She knew the number of mermaids in their aquatic prison, she knew most of their stories, and which ones were best to avoid. She knew how to stay under Denman's radar by playing nice, but above all that, she knew how impossible escape was.

"You can point your hand at things until it falls off, but it won't do you any good."

Emma met her remark with a scowl. "One day, they might make a mistake, or our powers could come back on their own. I'm not gonna miss it because I stopped trying."

Nixie shrugged. She moved on to Cleo, who had made it a whole ten feet from land over the past week. "Tell me more about the land boy you're in love with."

"I'm not..." Cleo could find nothing satisfactory to avert her gaze with, so finally she looked down. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on. I barely know you, and it's obvious you love him. Not a day goes by where you don't worry about him. 'Are you sure he'll be safe?'" she imitated Cleo's mopey tone, "_'What if he doesn't like wirrah? Do you think he has his own tank, or is he with other mermaids?_' I want to know what's so special about him."

Emma interrupted, "We have more important things to worry about right now."

"More important than love?" Nixie was incredulous. "Don't you worry about the survival of your species?"

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked impatiently.

"Well... love is everything. According to our lore, only a match of true love will produce a male. That's why there are so few mermen. Natural born mermen, I mean. Accidents at the moon pool don't count."

"How do you find your true love?" Cleo asked.

"Same way you find a guppy in a whirlpool. Magic."

"If there are so many more girls than guys," Emma added, "Not everyone gets a true love."

Nixie nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course. That's why our pods are so important."

"Emma," Cleo called in concern. "What about our pod? What about Rikki?"

Emma had no answer.

"Hey, don't worry," Nixie tried, "Since figuring out she can get mermen from the moon pool, I'm sure the crazy doctor lady devotes all her time to trapping land boys into her experiments. I doubt she's got time to brainwash your friend. She hasn't even been around here much, lately."

Somehow, that was not comforting to Cleo.

_-x-_

If it was possible for a mermaid to be allergic to water, Rikki was fairly confident she was on her way there. It was cold when she surfaced, but beneath she felt as if her limbs and torso grew wrinkly no matter how normal they looked when she drew them out of the water to stare at them. And she had a lot of time to stare.

Dr. Denman seemed to be proficient in psychological torture as well as the physical. It was like she knew how much worse the endless boredom was to Rikki than any of the initial procedures. She had no knowledge of whether she progressed in Denman's estimation or not, as the doctor made only occasional visits to the container Rikki was kept in, and conversation was little more than Rikki spouting insults and Denman marking a checklist.

Rikki was near the breaking point when an unexpected call was taken in her hearing.

"Hello!" she heard Denman answer somewhere beyond the darkness. And then there was a condescending sigh. "I told you, this is a research facility, not a pet store. We don't sell our mermaids. I only called to see if you'd be interested in making an investment... Yes, of course. I understand... That_ is_ a generous offer. Well, I think you understand the position I'm in."

Rikki strained to hear better, but if she leaned much further she might fall out of the tank, and the fall would definitely do more than break a bone or two.

"Very good. No, we'll keep her here until he returns. You'll pay for the additional care as she's in need of rehabilitation. I don't think you quite understand," she said sternly, "Every mermaid needs work. I'm offering you the one I think best suited to your needs. But I can assure you, you won't be disappointed with the results. And where else are you going to get a mermaid?" Denman laughed. "I'm so glad you see it my way! There'll be a lot of paperwork to sign... I trust you'll be discreet? No, Monday doesn't work for me. I'll see you Tuesday, five 'o clock sharp."

There was a rustle, the click-clack of her heels, and then Denman was standing in the lamplight, looking happier than Lewis with a microscope.

"It looks like you may be the financial kick-start we've been hoping for," she said, tapping on the glass. Congratulations, Number Seventeen."

Rikki realised she was _meant _to hear the conversation. It was all another test. She was sick to death of these games. She'd do anything to make some change in her routine. For the first time, she said nothing.

"No snarky comeback today? Are we finally learning manners? I'm glad to see it. That means we can move you to a better facility. Mr. Bennett expects the finest quality, and I'd rather you not look so droopy. Your tail's losing colour, you know."

"What's Mr. Bennett got to do with this?" Rikki couldn't help but ask.

Dr. Denman smirked, and let out a slight chuckle. "Mr. Bennett has just purchased you as an exotic pet for his son. Don't grimace like that, Seventeen; you're so pretty when you smile."

Rikki was cheated of her rebuttal by one of the drones in lab coats bringing Denman a report. She raised a single eyebrow in interest.

"Shouldn't we be sharing these results with someone?" he asked, refusing to acknowledge Rikki's sudden need to clear her throat very loudly.

"And risk getting shut down? No way. We haven't collected nearly enough data for any journal to be interested. Of course the mermaids would catch their attention, but we need to be on top of things before any information is released as common knowledge. We have to be so far into it that we're the leading experts in the field. We need this head start."

"So what do we do about funds in the meantime?"

"We sell it."

"Sell what? The mermaids?"

"No. The act. We'll sell them as an act. Plenty of marine parks would fork over a fortune for a live mermaid show."

"But they aren't acting."

"Exactly."

"How…?"

"We'll offer sponsors a private viewing before they invest. The highest bidder wins."

"What if the mermaids act out?"

"You act like I was born yesterday." She looked ready to hit him over the head with the chart. "Don't you think I've sorted all of this out? If they can't be trained to perform properly, we'll make it part of the act. _Mermaids in Distress_, or whatever catchy thing you want to call it. The people will believe anything if we tell them it's part of the show. And before you open your mouth to ask about potential family members recognizing a daughter, I'm not stupid enough to sell the show to local parks. We're going to the United States. California has some large marine parks. We'll start there."

"Sorry, one more question. When we're ready to release our findings… our _real_ findings, is anyone going to support us?" His eyes flickered in Rikki's direction. "I mean with the kidnap and all?"

"They're not human beings anymore, Porter. They're like fish we've simply relocated for research. Though you make a valid point. Some people may be squeamish at first. That's why I'm counting on Mr. Bennett to back me up when this goes public. Which is why... he'll be the only one with his own mermaid."

She looked Rikki dead in the eye, but she addressed the man next to her. "Get her ready."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

It seems Rikki gets to leave Denman's clutches after all! Though not in the way she was hoping...


	7. Man of the Hour

**VI. Man of the Hour**

After being treated worse than a frog for dissection, Lewis was given an enclosure that was more like a private island than anything else. He still wasn't able to get his legs back as the trees on the sandy land masses rained streams of water, but there was enough to discover in the tank, and the problem of his new position as a merman to keep him occupied for some time.

He'd been there when Cleo and the girls first changed. Not right away, but it wasn't long before they'd spilled their secret, needing his help, mostly to fish Cleo out of trouble. But this was beyond avoiding water, and trying not to use powers willy-nilly on troublesome family members.

He was—quite literally—thrown into the deep-end and expected to learn how to swim. His tail was heavy and troublesome. More so after being kept in a horizontal position for days on end. For the first few terrifying minutes underwater, he thought he would drown as his cumbersome new appendage would not work as he thought it should. He learned the hard way that it would take more than a handful of minutes gasping underwater to kill a merperson. He had no idea how long he'd be able to stay under before it became dangerous—if it _was _dangerous—but he did not intend on finding out.

The miniature islands were anchored to the bottom of the tank so that hoisting himself onto one wasn't too much trouble. And the island water was warm. Not just the unnatural rain, but the sandy pool that was just the right size for two. That's where he chose to sleep most nights.

Overall, it wasn't too bad. Especially not after his previous treatment. He didn't even mind the raw seafood. Some of the smaller fish species weren't horrible when wrapped in seaweed and swallowed whole. It sure beat some of Lenny's cooking.

It was just a few days of frustrated swimming and plopping down exhausted on the beach before his visitor came, but he missed Cleo—his friends—the moment his head emerged from the water that first time and he realised he wasn't dead. He was never the strong one; not in his family, not at school, not even amongst his closets mates—and they were all girls. But the feeling that he'd escaped death, the panic of never being able to say a proper goodbye to those he cared for... it made him want to be the strong one, if only to find Cleo and help her escape.

So he pushed himself to learn the ins and outs of his new condition, starting with the easy things, like how fast he could go from one side of the tank to the next. He had no Petri dishes or microscopes; nothing to test his theories except his own limits. And so he experimented with the only thing he had.

The size of his island pool still nettled him, but wasn't long before Denman shed light on that addition.

The enclosure had a sound system installed so that Denman could let her whims be known by simply pressing a button and speaking into the device she kept on hand. Lewis hated more than anything the way her voice cut through the peaceful sounds of the waterscape that let him pretend he was somewhere else for a few hours.

"Since you've been such a sport, I'm doing you a favour," she said, heels clacking as she descended from the overhead walkway. Lewis could have an actual conversation with her here if he so chose. As if he _had _a choice.

"I'm letting you choose your mate," she announced, like someone handing out party favours.

"Like a best friend mate?"

Denman's laugh made Lewis viciously uncomfortable. "No. I mean a _mate_. The other specimen you'll breed with to bring in my cash crop."

"You're sick, Denman." He felt like splashing water into her face, but it would have accomplished nothing. He didn't even know if he'd have the use of powers without the suppressants.

"No, not sick. A bit mercenary, perhaps, but seriously... all this equipment is expensive. That whirring device on your tank alone was a few million. I'd be stupid not to make a profit while I'm here."

Lewis's curiosity got the best of him. "Where did you get all the funding in the first place?"

"That paper I wrote. It pulled a lot of strings for me. So again, this is all thanks to you, Lewis!"

"We deleted it... we destroyed the paper! We took back the sample!"

"Oh, please. Did you think I couldn't rewrite it? And I took a new sample. With so many other mermaids at my disposal, it was easy. Your friends were only the beginning. That sample made me aware of things that were beyond imagining before. All this is possible because of you."

Lewis had never felt so helpless and weak as he did in that moment. There was nothing but a wall between them, but it might as well have been made of titanium.

"Enough chatter!" she chirped. "Which of these do you like best? I want the best results, and I understand that means selection. You'll join more often with a specimen you find desirable." She muttered, almost to herself as she thumbed through her files.

"Ah, what about her?" She held up a picture of a girl with long, dark hair and bright blue eyes. Lewis hardly spared it a glance, glowering at Denman instead. "Pretty, isn't she? Maybe a little... well..." she shrugged and left the rest unsaid.

"Oh. Yes, here's our top candidate for female breeders." She held up a photo of Emma, evidently stolen from the class yearbook. "And you know her already."

_You know her already._

As a _friend_! As Cleo's friend! The thought of being forced together with Emma was horrifying to say the least. Not that there was anything particularly wrong with Emma, but she was just so... _bossy_, so... absolutely not a person he could feel something beyond friendship for. Her treatment of Lewis was more like an older sister than anything.

Lewis could only muster a, "You're crazy."

"Just wait! I've got one more for you. I think you'll be interested..."

The picture was recent. Probably less than a week old. She was underwater—not her favourite place to be under the best of circumstances, though she was slowly learning not to fear it so much. At least, that's what she confided the last time they'd talked alone. As long as she had someone with her, the vastness of the ocean wasn't so frightening.

She certainly looked frightened, now. All the fear of the unknown had chased out the look of girlish wonder he was used to seeing in her eyes. There was nothing in her surroundings to suggest comfort or distraction from the horrors she'd faced. There was no colourful coral, no wisps of plant life, none of the fish species she would catch and bring for Lewis to name before they threw them back. It could have been the deep end of any swimming pool. Except there was no sunshine waiting for her at the top. No Lewis with her favourite towel.

He had to see her.

"Cleo," he breathed, and came a little closer to the edge.

"I suspected as much." Denman took the picture away and closed her files. "Alright, then! I'll make arrangements!"

It wasn't until after Denman disappeared that Lewis realised what he'd done.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Poor Lewis! He fell right into that trap. Just for fair warning, we're gaining on the rated M parts, so if you're a sensitive reader, turn back now! There are many not-very-nice things in the future!


	8. Tanked

**VII. Tanked**

She'd gone from a dark, isolated tank to another crate, and then from that crate into a cylindrical holding tube. From that tube, they buckled her into a chair and performed abhorrent and perverted trials on her—beauty trials.

Her hair was shampooed, conditioned, trimmed, fussed with, dyed, redyed, and the natural waves were locked in with a thick, sticky substance that was supposed to maintain her new style, even underwater.

She was scrubbed from head to tail in soaps, lotions, and oils that didn't smell great, but made her skin and scales shimmer. Her hands were manicured and painted—not just painted, but designed with shells and flowers and whatever other stupid artsy things they could think to humiliate her with. They even gave her new eyelashes.

She hated it. She hated it almost more than the solitary tank.

All of her protests were useless. Her insults fell on deaf ears. The stylists seemed like robots, doing exactly what they were told and nothing more. They didn't even speak to each other, except for a stray, "Yes," "No," or, "More red." Whether they were part of Denman's team of evil scientists, or a crew of beauty experts hired by Mr. Bennet, Rikki couldn't tell. All she knew was that pleading for help was useless—and made her look crazy.

She felt crazy. Especially after catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror before they hauled her away to the next prison. She had to admit, the affect was pretty. Whatever they'd done to her enhanced every good thing about her features and skin, without any obvious, costume-like makeup. But she didn't look like Rikki anymore. She looked too perfect to be real.

For the first time since her captivity, Rikki cried.

Her next placement came as a total surprise. Rikki expected to be put in isolation again. In a warehouse, maybe, sharing a cell with various reptiles and endangered birds. Or at the very least, in a custom made tank in some exotic beach house where only the Bennetts and their rich associates could afford to go and gawk. When they lugged her up—heavily dosed with muscle relaxers and magic suppressants—into a cramped space and tossed her into a narrow channel that locked overhead she was shocked to see that they'd put her in a restaurant.

She was looking down at a posh setup. The tables were set with white, satiny tablecloths, and glassware that looked too delicate to survive a single toast. The napkins were as pretentious as the hanging chandeliers, the cushioned chairs, and the brilliant silver spoons. Everything had a bluish tinge to it, all from Rikki's new tank, which was connected to the entire restaurant through a series of water ways that lead to overdone sets of sunken ships and coral reefs.

This was no JuiceNet. And by the looks of things, she was there to be more than a 'pet' for Zane. She was the main attraction to a new restaurant. A real mermaid; trapped in a pretend paradise for everyone to see, presuming she would ever regain the use of her tailfin. It was still feeling odd from the drugs. Things couldn't have been worse unless Zane himself was there to make fun of her.

She regretted the thought immediately.

Mr. Bennett, another man in a suit, and Zane Bennett came around from the bar, which Rikki couldn't see but a portion of at the angle she was stuck in. Zane was taking everything in with a huge grin. Now he was shaking hands with the suited stranger. They weren't talking overloud, and Rikki couldn't make out what they said, but it was evident what was going on when Mr. Bennett put a hand on Zane's shoulder and pointed up to her.

"Happy Birthday," she could see him mouth, as Zane's jaw fell open.

"What is that?" Zane asked clearly.

"That's the main attraction!"

"Why'd you bring her here already? We're not open yet."

"That's a long story, son. Come with me, and I'll tell you."

"Wait..." Zane narrowed his eyes and came closer. "Is that...? No way."

She smacked her palms against the side of her prison, and tried to shout for help; but it was clear she couldn't be heard. She had to look ridiculous, flailing overhead in mermaid form. But Zane wasn't laughing. He peered even harder, disbelief in his features. "Rikki?" he said.

And then he was laughing.

"How did you get her to do this? We're nowhere near... did you fly her out here? This is amazing!" He shouted up to Rikki, "What kind of dirt does Dad have on you that you'd be willing to do this?"

If she could scream at him any louder, she would.

Mr. Bennett pulled Zane away. "Like I said, it's a long story. Let's go and have a talk, Zane."

* * *

**Author's Warning:**

Alright, readers! This is your last warning! Abandon ship if you like stories only full of fluff and cheese! The next one promises to be quite horrid.


	9. Conjugation

**VIII. Conjugation**

Cleo was going to hate him. There were no two ways about it. He had basically sentenced her to be his... his bond mate, or whatever Denman wanted to call it, and there was no way she would ever want to be friends again, let alone...

With his heart sinking, Lewis crushed all thoughts of anything he might have hoped for at one time.

He felt like the lowest scum when he saw the bright orange flicker that meant she was swimming close by. Denman told him it would be today. Lewis had been avoiding it, taking slow laps in every direction to steer clear, but it seemed Cleo would search him out.

Her head popped up as she scanned the premises. Lewis tried to stay still and prevent any lapping waves from betraying him. She glanced his way, and he stiffened—motionless behind the sandbar.

"Lewis!" she called out to him, relief cracking her voice.

And he knew it was no use.

He couldn't ignore her; couldn't pretend he had changed in his feelings for her to make it easier for them to get through this. His arms opened of their own volition, and in a few hearty strokes, Cleo was clinging to him as if he was her last chance at happiness. He was heartbroken to know how wrong she was.

"Cleo, are you hurt?" "Are you okay, Lewis?" They said in unison.

Cleo blushed and moved back an arm's length. "I'm okay, I just didn't know where you were or if you were still..." she released a heavy sigh. Lewis noticed she no longer wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. Maybe it was useless, being surrounded by water, but he missed it as something vital to her identity.

"Cleo, what did they do to you?"

"Not _too_ much. The shots are the worst." She wrinkled her nose, and was Cleo again. "But I love this place! I swam all around to find you, and it's so pretty! It's too bad Emma and Rikki can't be here! And Nixie. We met her in the other tank, and she's really nice. She knows a lot about mermaids; she was born one! I wonder if Denman might let them come, too. Then we could all be together!"

"Cleo." Lewis had that sinking feeling again. He was definitely scum. "She didn't... tell you what she brought you here for?"

"To see you!" Cleo still held tight to his arms, and the contact seemed to sear him with guilt.

"Yeah, but... augh."

The unmistakable click-clack of Denman's pumps signalled the beginning of Lewis's worst nightmare. He pulled Cleo to him protectively, and she blushed again as he had no scales or covering of any kind from the waist up. Her open palm was pressed against the damp smoothness of his chest, and the place on her body where skin met scales was brushed by his fingers when he captured her. She didn't think they'd ever been so close before.

Denman loomed over them at her favourite perch. "Stop wasting time, Lewis," she sounded like a disappointed teacher handing over poor marks. "If you won't tell her, I will."

"Tell me what?" Cleo was still moderately distracted by the fact that Lewis wasn't letting go.

"Leave us alone, Denman!" Cleo flinched at Lewis's outrage. "She shouldn't have to do this! It can be someone else; I didn't mean for you to bring her here!"

"Oh, it's a little late for all that. Besides, I think you two have a good chance at getting me what I want. You're more than compatible."

Cleo knew there was trouble, even if she couldn't determine _what_, exactly. "What does she mean? What is she talking about, Lewis?"

Dr. Denman rolled her eyes with dramatic exaggeration. "You're not here to chat away your existence. You're here to mate."

"I don't understand," Cleo was clearly agitated now, "That doesn't make any..."

"Sense?" Denman finished, "Of course it does. Your sole purpose here is for research and profit. Your bonding and any spawn you might produce will be useful in both areas."

"_Spawn?_" Cleo's lip trembled and she looked up to Lewis. "I don't want to do this."

"I know, and you shouldn't have to..."

Denman's voice cut in. "Fifteen," she addressed Cleo, "I hope you realise what happens to mermen who aren't viable breeders. Or did Two fail to explain clearly enough?"

_"Once they found out he wasn't what they wanted they took care of him on the boat. Made it look like a shark attack."_

Cleo's face turned the sickly ashen colour that plagued Charlotte's skin.

"We don't have to, Cleo. Don't worry about me." Lewis gave Denman a murderous glare.

"He's right," Denman went on. "I can't force you to do anything. And the injection doesn't hurt much. He'll barely know his body's shutting down until he's dead."

Tears streamed down her face, and no longer wary of boundaries, she let her forehead fall against Lewis's chest as she sobbed.

"Denman!" Lewis shouted up at her, "Don't do this! I'll pick another! Just... let her go back. _Please."_

"Ah, but I've already seen how well you responded to her picture. You can't fake that kind of thing. Science, Lewis. You know very well, it doesn't lie."

Lewis began to plead again, but Cleo, still sobbing, raised her head. "No! No, stop. I'll do it!"

Lewis tried to protest, and Denman looked unconvinced.

"I promise, I'll do it! Just... leave us alone! Please!"

Denman gave a weary huff, as if she'd known the outcome all along and was frustrated at how much time it had taken from her day. "Very well. Have all the time alone you need.

"Oh," she said, looking down at the grief stricken pair and flashing an evil smirk. "Let me know if I can turn on some music for you."

The last they heard was the _click-clack_ of her pumps fading into the distance.

_-x-_

For a long time they said nothing. Lewis was _sure_ anything he said or did would only make things worse, and so he simply held her. Cleo hadn't managed to stop crying.

At last, her sobs melted into inconstant sniffles, and he said, "I'll call her back. We don't have to..."

"No," she mumbled, "I don't want it to be someone else. If you have to... to do this..." her voice was very small as she said, "I'd rather it be me."

"But I've never... and _you_'_ve_ never..." He couldn't bring her to look at him as he said, "What if I hurt you?"

"It would hurt me more if someone else was your mate."

"Don't call it that!" He felt a little guilty for being so sharp, but it was important to him not to use _any_ of Denman's terms.

"Is there somewhere more... quiet we can go?" she sniffed.

Lewis knew what she meant. The whole tank was quiet, but she wanted somewhere more private; somewhere secure, more closed-in. There was one place that felt safe—safer than the rest of the enclosure.

"There's an underwater passage to a small pool on the beach. It's warm?" he offered weakly.

Cleo nodded.

Her hand was clutched tightly in his all the way to the pool. It seemed they were bound already. Whatever Denman's experiments did, there was an unspoken wish to get through it together.

Cleo cried the whole night.

She tried to be brave; tried to put on a front so Lewis wouldn't feel more wretched than he already did, but it was impossible. They weren't stupid; they knew how this was supposed to work. For humans at least. But they were merfolk now, and Lewis wasn't used to his merman anatomy.

Cleo cried when the fleshy barb expanded from beneath a set of blue-green scales—they were almost pretty, but for the _thing_ they released—and she worried aloud that it was too big to fit.

She cried when he repeated how sorry he was, and tried to retract, telling her there was another way, because there _had_ to be, and he wouldn't make her.

She cried when she violently shook her head and led him to the place where her own scales were shifting colour and dividing under some strange magic, so he could perform the one thing that would save his life, and possibly ruin it simultaneously.

And she cried when it was over and there was nothing left to do but cry.

But most of all she cried when Lewis's poorly hid snuffles testified to his own agony, and she didn't have the courage to turn to the other side, and take his hand in comfort.

* * *

**Author's Notice:**

I told you it was going to be dreadful! Just remember to take out all your horror and anger on the evil Dr. Denman, and not the nice author who will give you a snippet of the next chapter in exchange for reviews. :)


	10. Emma's Chance

**IX. Emma's Chance**

Emma knew it wasn't their fault. She knew it wasn't Rikki's choice to leave her in a tank of strange mermaids—although Cleo was sickeningly happy about relocating to be with Lewis, so she could blame her a bit—but she still felt resentment.

Nixie wasn't _terrible_ company. She was a bit on the bossy side, though. Sarcastic like Rikki, realistic like Emma, but full of impossible knowledge concerning magic and mermaids. If only she had Cleo's unflagging optimism, they might have got along better.

Emma resented that she wasn't the leader anymore. Even more, she resented having no one to lead.

Nixie couldn't say why she retained her health and normal attitude when so many mermaids had shut down within weeks. It might have been because she was a born mermaid, and not of the moon pool, but then, Emma wasn't in bad shape, either. Only Denman had the file with all the answers.

Emma was taken out more and more to be studied. Denman was sure she was a 'prime breeder' but wanted to wait for the best possible selection of males before her final relocation.

She used to resist. She'd resist going to the surface during feeding hour, when the mermaids were selected and captured for their injections and tests. When hunger won out, and she finally appeared, she'd fight the catch-pole to the last, as well as the men at the end of it who drugged and dragged her away.

But when her fighting meant longer time on the awful metal slab, and punishments dealt out not to only her, but the rest of the pod in her tank, Emma stopped fighting. She told herself it was just for appearances. She'd bide her time, and save her strength, like Nixie urged time and again. It felt _so_ much like giving up, that she had to grit her teeth against the betrayal of tears that prickled each time they took her.

Today, the two scientists who were usually in charge of her experiments dropped her crate before they reached the research lab, and the jolt made her wince. Emma couldn't see more than a pair of legs in cargo shorts and slip-resistant shoes, but the voice was youthful; not like the middle-aged crew she was used to.

"I'll take it from here, guys. Dr. Denman's assigned her to me."

"For what, exactly?" The technician to Emma's right asked, "You're not a scientist."

The one to her left shifted his stance defensively. "Aren't you the guy that sold his friends out?"

The young man snorted. "I'm the reason you now have four mermen instead of the one. But if you want to put it like that... yeah. Pity Zac didn't work out. But I've _more_ than made up for that since. Are you gonna give her to me, or what?"

"Think you can handle it?" By his sneering tone, Emma thought he must mean carrying her crate.

"Let's put it this way. I'm a competitive free-diver. Why do you think Denman let me off without sticking me in the magic pool with my mates?" His shoes stopped just short of stepping on top of the other man's. "I don't need magic to be a sea god. Now are you going to hand over the mermaid, or do I have to page the doc?"

"Transfer papers?" the man growled.

Everything must have been in order, because it was only a matter of seconds before the scientists were walking on, and Emma's crate was hoisted up momentarily into the man's arms. She was placed on a rolling cart, steered into a new room, and set back on the floor.

The crate was unlocked, and Emma sat up to get a better look at her new tormenter.

He was definitely _not_ a scientist. His dirty blonde hair was styled into a short, casual tousle, and his tank showed off a toned and sun-kissed torso. There was nothing about his looks that would lead her to believe he spent any more time indoors than was strictly necessary.

They were in a gym, surrounded by workout equipment of all shapes and sizes, with a small sink and shelf unit that held a variety of fruits, vegetables, and a very nice blender.

Most surprising of all was the friendly way the man held out a hand and said, "Hey. The name's Cam."

"What do I care?" Emma spat.

"You might once I bust you out of here."

She sat up straight. "Are you serious?!"

"Shsh! Not so loud!" he warned, "I can't get you free just yet, but I'm working on it."

Emma slumped back in the crate. "Then why bother?"

"I thought you might like a change in the meantime." His eyes roved over the curves of her tail, taking in the overlapping scales that shifted from various shades of amber, gold, and orange. Emma was struck with a sudden worry that they were duller than before; the golden scales were more of a dark yellow, the amber turning brown, and the orange were a little on the rusty side.

"Thought maybe you'd like your legs back."

Emma kept a close eye on him as he rubbed her down with towels, not trusting for a moment that he had good intentions; especially when she had to keep slapping his hand away from taking his time with the drying methods in certain uncomfortable areas. She forgot to be wary when she was finally dry, and the part of her magic that kept her a prisoner to her tail melted away.

She jumped up as soon as she had legs, wobbled anxiously on them, and was barely kept from falling on her face when Cam caught her around the middle.

"Whoa, now, Landlegs! Where are you going?"

"Anywhere other than here."

"Well, you won't get far that way." Emma glared at him, but she could do nothing on such unsteady feet. She had _feet_ again! She wiggled her toes in triumph.

"Just give it time," he said, helping her sit on the lifting bench. "Denman's got me here to help with grunt work, and she thinks she's roped me into her volunteer research crew. I'm supposed to be helping you get fit so she can test the spawn of mermaids in different conditions."

"Spawn? What's that mean?"

"I dunno. Something sick, knowing her."

"So what are you doing with me if you're not helping her?"

"Like I said, I'm working on a way to get you free. Hey, would you like a drink? I make a killer smoothie." Not waiting for an answer, he started selecting some of the produce from the counter to rinse and break off into smaller chunks.

Emma crossed her arms in challenge. "You betrayed your friends to Denman. Why should I trust you?"

Cam sighed. "It's not like that. Zac and Will... they didn't get it." He dropped the banana he was peeling onto the shelf and met Emma's eyes. "_They_ betrayed _me_. I act like it was the other way around because it helps to have a reputation around here. Denman's not so scary if she thinks you're on her side."

"Try being a mermaid and then saying that."

"_Touché_," he smirked.

He finished blending the drink, and brought the product to Emma. "Try that out."

She hadn't seen everything he'd put in it, but after months of only live fish and injected supplements, her mouth watered before she'd even brought the straw to her mouth. As soon as she had, she couldn't keep back a slight whimper. "This is delicious," she admitted. "Just like the drinks I used to make before swim practice."

"You were a swimmer!" he said.

"Yeah," she ducked her head sadly. "Before all this."

"Well, this is my special pre-dive shake," he said with a crooked smile. "Guaranteed to give you a boost." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Maybe... maybe we could go together, sometime. Me diving, and you swimming."

Emma coughed from swallowing the drink wrong. "Are you asking me out? We're in the middle of a secret lab where I'm being held as an experiment! I've just got my legs back for the first time in months, and you're asking about a fun dip at the beach?!"

He shrugged sheepishly. "It was worth a shot. Could I at least have dibs for the first date when I get you out of here?"

Emma took an extra long sip of her drink before replying.

"I'll consider it," she said with a sniff.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Surprise! I added another _Mako Mermaids_ character, and updated on a Friday! I think I'll start doing Mondays_ and _Fridays for updates. If everyone is okay with that. :P


	11. The Wrong Remedy

**X. The Wrong Remedy**

"Whoa," Zane said at last. "This was all to save her?"

Mr. Bennett nodded. "The accident nearly tore her in half—literally. She was suicidal when they brought her to the clinic; had wild fantasies about being a mermaid and returning to her ocean home. Must have been from the head trauma. Her dad couldn't pay for the groundbreaking procedure they wanted to try, so I offered. It was an extraordinary thing that they were able to do. With the prosthetic tail and a controlled environment, the suicidal tendencies have mostly subsided."

"But why is she _here_ if she's not well? Shouldn't she be in a hospital? Or some kind of special facility?"

"She needs to be constantly surrounded by others to distract her from the incident. The problem was, how could we do that while still giving her an underwater home? The doctors suggested a marine park, but I thought this would be more comfortable for her—to be around people who care. You always seemed like you had kind of a soft spot for Rikki, so I thought you wouldn't mind helping her out." He narrowed his eyes at his son. "Unless this is too much trouble for you?"

Zane shook his head, "No, not a problem! I'd be happy to help her out, but I still don't know why she's part of the restaurant. I mean, it's a great idea by itself, but Rikki...?"

"Think logically, son. The procedure wasn't cheap. If she can make us a margin of that back just by floating around in her healing environment, it would be stupid not to let her." Zane frowned in thought. "Do you hear me, Zane?"

He nodded absently.

"Can I trust you to give her the shots? She needs them to help settle her, but she might fight you on it. She's under the delusion that it's poison. I know it's a big job, but... I can't be here all the time."

"Sure. Yeah, I can do that."

"And remember, she's not well. Don't talk to her about the mermaid thing. It might make her condition worse. Just give her the medicine, and let the tank do its job."

-x-

Zane knelt at the tank's narrow opening, contemplating how this was supposed to work. The audio guys were testing the music levels, so the atmospheric quality of the down-tempo groove and breathy voices singing wordless arias made him feel like he was on a movie set.

His dad knew what he was doing when it came to business. The restaurant was called _Mermaid's Wake_, and was advertised as a classy sit-down place with a live mermaid act, and a variety of high quality seafood dishes. A placard detailing the story of her rescue was positioned before the best view of her tank, in an alcove set between both staircases that led down into the centre of the dining room. It made him easier to know that people would be aware of her condition, and not ignorantly gawking.

He was told that she _had_ to receive the shot every twenty-four hours, or her self-destructive habits wouldn't be kept in check. How he was meant to coax her to the surface when she thought her medicine was poison, he was not told.

To his surprise, she came without tricks or coaxing of any kind. The opening was so narrow she was forced to keep close to Zane in order for her head to make it out of the water. At the moment, she didn't look suicidal—she looked angry.

Zane pushed the needle behind his shoe so that she wouldn't notice it and panic. "Rikki. How are you?"

"How do you think I am?" she snapped. "Your dad's got me trapped in a tank full of props after buying me from a crazy scientist. I was in a dark room for weeks, being fed on nothing but raw fish, and poked at like a piece of meat at the market, all in the name of science. I'm not doing so hot, thanks for asking."

"My dad saved your life."

She snorted. "Is that what he told you? That's a great story. Almost as absurd as the real one. Look, can you get me out of here, or what?"

"Rikki, you're confused. You were in an accident... Ah, I don't know why I'm trying to explain this to you. He told me you weren't well."

"He's the one that's not well! Look, Zane, I'm real, okay? This tail is real. It goes away when I've dried off. I can show you! Just let me out!"

"You tried to kill yourself."

"Why would I try to kill myself when your dad's doing such a great job of it by himself?"

"Rikki, listen..."

"No, _you_ listen! They're pumping me with something that doesn't let me use magic—"

She could tell it was a bad choice of words by his deepening frown. "Magic?"

"I know! I know it sounds stupid, but I'm telling you the truth. The moon pool on Mako Island turned us into mermaids, and Dr. Denman captured us for her freaky science lab, where your dad bought me from. When we get wet, something... something changes, and it gives us our tails. As soon as we're dry, we turn back, though!"

"Who's 'we?' And Dr. Denman? Who is that? No. Never mind," he gestured. "I'm not falling for this. You have to get over your delusions, Rikki. If you show my dad you understand reality, I can probably get you out of here. We'll build a house for you like a massive swimming pool, and waterways so you can get around with your tail."

"No," she wailed, "I _have_ legs! I need your help to get out of here, not an underwater house!"

He took her hand, clutching it tightly in his. Rikki was almost moved by it, until she saw the syringe coming at her arm.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry, Rikki. I have to. I can't let you die."

"Please, Zane! Don't! Don't do this."

"I don't want to lose you, Rikki."

He was careful with the angle and depth of the injection, but it still went deep. Rikki could no longer feel a change from the suppressants, and she wondered if she'd ever have her powers back.

Something of the old Rikki came back and she looked him straight in the eye as she said, "You don't want to lose your investment, you mean."

Her face was wet with rebellious tears as she watched him walk away, a sad slump in his shoulders that wasn't there before. Her arm was sore from the injection, but unreasonably, the ache in her wrist where he held her was worse. The source of her tears, she knew, was from none of the physical pain.

She opened her mouth to call him back, to beg him not to leave her, to ask if they could talk. His head was just disappearing down the stairway.

She couldn't do it. It hurt too much, and she wouldn't let him see her cry.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Foolish Zane, to believe the lies of his father! Someone was very thorough with their cover story. But was he thorough enough...? Raise of hands; who now is considering quitting school to become a restaurant mermaid? I'd apply for something like that if I knew how to swim. That's kind of an important skill to have for such a profession.


End file.
